Traditionally, higher amounts of flavor, e.g., 15 to 20 times more, are added to chewing gum compositions than to confectionery compositions such as boiled candy. This is due to the unique problems associated in obtaining satisfactory flavor release during mastication of the chewing gum. The prior art chewing gum compositions traditionally have shown that up to about 90% of the flavor becomes trapped in the gum base portion of the bolus of the gum. The trapped flavor is therefore not available for perception. Yet, after 10 to 15 minutes of chewing, this trapped flavor is known to contribute to a bitter taste in the gum.
One of the primary considerations in developing an acceptable chewing gum composition is a pleasant, uniform flavor which is of long duration and which imparts a good breath freshening attribute. Naturally, bitter tastes are to be avoided. Conventional chewing gum compositions must add flavor in high amounts to account for the substantial percentage of flavor which becomes trapped in the bolus. These higher amounts of flavor, however, produce several problems. First, the flavors may impart an unacceptable and overpowering harshness due to their incorporation in intense amounts. This harshness is sometimes perceived as bitterness. Second, excess flavor results in increased plasticization and softening of the gum base which changes the chew characteristics of the chewing gum. Thus, any advantages obtained by using higher quantities of flavors are offset to a large degree by these problems.